2013 opusd brochure hr

EDUCATING TOMORROW’S LEADERS

5801 East Conifer Street | Oak Park, California 91377 | P. 818.735.3200 | F. 818.879.0372www.oakparkusd.org

2013 – 2014


Oak Park School District is a remarkable place. While many districts throughout the state struggle with getting their students to pass the state high school exit exam, 99% of our 10th graders have already passed it on

the first try and we are one of the few, perhaps the only district in the state with a 0% drop-out rate. Our student performance levels are the highest in Ventura County of any K-12 school district. With a 2013 API district API score of 929, OPUSD compares favorably to the traditional top districts in the state with much longer tenures and significantly higher socio-economic status, such as Palos Verdes, Palo Alto, Manhattan Beach, Beverly Hills, and San Marino. Oak Park now ranks 8th in student achievement in California out of 1000 school districts.

A Standard and Poor’s research study named Oak Park Schools one of the top 29 Outperforming School Districts in California (out of nearly 1000). This study, that was funded under a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, sought to identify school systems that provided higher levels of student performance when compared to districts that serve similar student populations and also show sustained levels of high performance over time.

The reason for our success is due to the fact that we as an organization have made a commitment to our students to meet their academic needs every day and to provide an appropriate level of learning through challenge, depth, complexity, and novelty. Our teachers’ high degree of attention to providing our students with an engaging, differentiated, and meaningful curriculum is at the core of our vision. Our teachers see students as individuals and strive to cater to their specific needs. We recognize that each student is a different type of learner and that different styles and content motivate and interest different students. Because of this reality, we strive to create and nurture a system that honors the unique needs of each child. We are also equally concerned about how our students learn. We are committed to providing an authentic, experiential, and hands-on learning environment as much as possible for our students because, we know from decades of research, that this is the best way to foster the love of learning and ensure that the unquenchable desire to learn becomes a life-long endeavor.

…a district of choice for those choosing excellence.

generated at BeQRious.com

We value our teachers, administrators, and support staff, understanding that maintaining high morale and attending to their professional development translates into a positive learning environment for our students. We ensure that the teacher in front of your child’s class is one of the best and that he/she receives the best professional development available on a regular basis.

In Oak Park, we work as members of a team and this is clearly evident when youwalk onto any campus. Oak Park USD is a District of Choice, which has created a unique opportunity for a limited number of students to attend our schools who do not live in Oak Park. Additionally, under new legislation, we are able to accept students on inter-district transfers and automatically renew them annually until the student graduates from high school even if the student begins to attend our schools in Kindergarten. All applications for this program must be submitted by December 31 for enrollment for the fall of the next school year.

Oak Park schools are recognized for their excellence. We invite you to find out more about our schools by arranging a visit. Please call Linda Gam, Support Services, at 818.735.3253 or email [email protected] for assistance with your interdistrict transfer.

Welcome!

Anthony W. Knight, Ed. D.Superintendent


SCHOOL & DISTRICT SIZE – A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE

Oak Park Unified School District currently serves 4650 students. Our elementary schools range in enrollment from 529-623 students, our middle school has 1126 students, and Oak Park High School has 1518. Research indicates that school sizes in these ranges are correlated to the highest levels of student achievement chiefly due to the fact that students have more access to teachers, counselors, and administrators and schools of these sizes are more likely to develop ‘family’ climates. Additionally, our class sizes are some of the lowest in county and state.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS

Oak Park Unified School District’s emphasis is on a well-balanced and rigorous core curriculum at all grade levels. Instructional programs are aligned with State and District standards. The educational program is structured so all students receive instruction appropriate to their learning level. The goal of every member of the school community is to educate, nurture, and assist the whole child. To ensure the success of every student, teachers use a variety of instructional techniques and supplemental instructional materials and programs. The District has been working on a transition to the Common Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, both developed nationally to help bring American schools into the 21st century and to put them on a level with or exceeding schools in other developed nations. The Common Core Standards call for students to develop higher level thinking and reasoning skills, work collaboratively, and demonstrate their learning and critical thinking through more complex problem-solving exercises and assessments.



POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

College preparation activities and programs are an integral part of the school curriculum at Oak Park High School. The school’s academic focus is preparing students to attend college. Counselors meet with students and parents throughout the high school years to develop plans for post-secondary education. A variety of Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses are offered to assist students who are seeking admission to top colleges and universities. The mean SAT score for OPHS seniors in 2013 was 1835, which represents a growth of 100 points over two years. This score is 334 higher than state and national averages, which also include private schools. The pass rate for the Advanced Placement exams for 2013 was a remarkable 94%.

Nearly 70% of our graduates were accepted to a 4-year institution. Combined, students attending a four-year school or a community college made up more than 96% of the graduating class. More than 82% of our seniors reported they had completed the UC/CSU “A-G” course pattern, and on an annual basis more than 32% of our seniors are admitted to one or more of the University of California schools.

Our students are selected at some of the most highly selective colleges in the nation. Students are regularly accepted to other prestigious schools in California, such as Stanford, the University of Southern California, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna. We also have students admitted to out-ofstate schools that include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, NYU, Tufts, Boston University, Tulane, West Point, and the United States Naval Academy, among many others. Most importantly, we work with students to find their passion and fulfill their dreams. While not all students qualify or even desire to attend a highly selective college, we work with our students to find a college that is right for them. Our students also look for other paths to their dream that may include serving on a church mission, joining the armed forces, or pursuing technical school training. There is a place for everybody at Oak Park High School.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT & ASSESSMENT

Each year, the State of California tests students in grades 2-11 in language arts, math, science, and social science in order to measure the effectiveness of instruction and curriculum in public schools. Students attain one of five levels of performance on the California Standards Test (CST) for each subject tested: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. The State Board of Education has established the PROFICIENT level as the desired achievement goal for all students. In Oak Park the vast majority of students score in the ADVANCED range.

The Academic Performance Index (API) is one of three components of the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) passed by the State of California in 1999. The API measures school performance, sets academic growth targets, and monitors growth over time based on State testing results. The state target for schools is an API of 800. With a District API of 929, Oak Park Unified School District has the highest API of any school district in Ventura County and the 8th highest in the state.


California Standards Test

English Language Arts

Math

% of Students Scoring Advanced & Proficient

History/Social Science

Science

Oak Hills Elementary School has the highest API of any non-selective school in Ventura County. Medea Creek Middle School is the highest scoring middle school in Ventura County. Oak Park High School is the highest scoring high school in Ventura County. Oak Park High School ranks 9th of non-selective high schools in the entire state of California besting high schools in Palo Alto, Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, Cupertino, and Irvine and many traditionally high achieving school districts.

All of the elementary school scores are statistically similar. To illustrate this, the average scaled scores can be compared below. The scaled scores are the composite scores on the exams. All of these averages are in the ADVANCED range, which is remarkable for any school.

Oak Park schools are all ranked in the top 1% in California. In the similar school rankings that rank schools of similar demographics, ALL Oak Park schools are ranked a 9 or a 10 when compared to like schools.



OPUSD DISTRICT API ............ 929

Oak Park High School .............916

Medea Creek ............................948

Oak Hills Elementary ..............957

Brookside Elementary ............949

Red Oak Elementary ...............941

Language ArtsBrookside Elementary .......... 414Oak Hills Elementary ............ 417Red Oak Elementary ............. 394

MathBrookside Elementary .......... 442Oak Hills Elementary ............ 472Red Oak Elementary ............. 441


DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS

The SRI is an assessment of reading comprehension. Students are scored with a lexile level designed to help them choose books appropriate to their reading skills. The SRI lexile levels are similar to those on the California Standards Tests (Advanced, Proficient, Basic, Below Basic); however, the SRI has a higher threshold for attainment of “proficient” and “advanced” than the CST.

The DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency assessment measures the number of correct words per minute that students can read aloud and comprehend. Students who score in the “low risk” category on DIBELS are at or above grade level benchmarks for reading.

According to these assessments, year after year, 91% of all Oak Park Elementary school students read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. This includes children with special learning needs (as do all of our assessment data.)

2012-2013 DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)

Total District

% of Low Risk Students

Brookside Elementary

Red Oak Elementary

Oak Hills Elementary

TOTAL DISTRICT

2005 ................92%

2006 ................94%

2007 ................92%

2008 ................94%

2009 ................94%

2010 .................93%

2011 .................93%

2012 .................91%


PHYSICAL FITNESS AND STUDENT WELLNESS

In the spring of each year, Oak Park Unified School District administers a physical fitness test to all students in fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. The physical fitness test measures each student’s ability to perform fitness tasks in six major areas. Students who either meet or exceed the standards in five fitness areas are considered to be physically fit or in the “healthy fitness zone.” In the 2012- 13 school year, 76% of students in fifth, seventh, and ninth grade in Oak Park Unified School District met the standards in at least five out of six areas.

Concern for student wellbeing is a core value throughout our District. The cafeterias at all of the schools offer quality natural foods every day. The District uses the quality standards similar to those of Whole Foods Market in choosing ingredients for our freshly prepared meals. The District has a partnership with the California Health and Longevity Institute at the Westlake Four Seasons Hotel who train our cafeteria staff, provide menus and recipes, and help us to serve the most nutritious and delectable food available. The District participates in the national Meatless Monday campaign and offers vegetarian options every day of the week at our secondary schools.

Oak Park High School was selected by the Department of Education as one of only four schools in California to receive the Physical Fitness and Wellness Award as part of the California Distinguished School program in 2013.


2009 ................94%

2010 .................93%

2011 .................93%

2012 .................91%


TEACHERS AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Teachers in the district participate in ongoing staff development. Working extensively with leaders in research-based training allows teachers to bring proven, best practices for instruction into the classroom.

The District participates in the UCLA Early Literacy and the UCLA Critical Thinking Institutes.

Oak Park is an Affiliate District with the Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Projects. This experience provides intensive training to participating teachers in a residential summer program at Columbia University in New York. Teachers then collaborate in teams to implement the strategies that truly excite children about reading and writing and greatly enhance their success and achievement in these critical areas.

To meet the needs of specific groups of students, the district works with nationally recognized experts to offer teachers training on differentiated instruction for students who are academically at risk, students learning English as a second language, and students who are gifted and talented. Parent workshops are also offered in these areas each year.

The District has received a substantial grant from the State of California to provide staff development as we transition to the Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.


OAK PARK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Oak Park Unified School District is aware that many students are best served by a program of Independent Study. Some parents are committed to home-schooling, and some students, many pursuing interests in athletics, television, the film industry, or the performing arts, require an educational program that provides a state-aligned curriculum with the flexibility to fit schedules that may include frequent traveling. Oak Park Independent School is an alternative for families committed to teaching such students. Several well-known youth actors are enrolled in this model program.

The curriculum at Oak Park Independent School is aligned to all state standards and the program is fully accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges and graduating students have been admitted to such prestigious colleges as Yale and Princeton. Parents and students meet regularly with a credentialed teacher who assigns work and monitors progress. Special group meetings and field trips are planned for students throughout the year. For more information and enrollment in Oak Park Independent School, please call 818.735.3260.



EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Through a bond measure passed by the Oak Park Community and an innovative program of teacher training, over 93% of our classrooms are 21st Century Classrooms, featuring curricular integration of SmartBoard interactive whiteboards with LCD projectors, student responders, document cameras, a teacher MacBook computer, and more. Each school has at least one iMac computer lab, and classrooms have access to mobile carts containing 20 MacBooks each (COWs - Computers On Wheels). Every teacher also has an iPad and the district is in the process of deploying student iPad learning centers and Mobile iPad Learning Karts (MiLKs) so that students will be able to use this emerging technology in the classroom. The district is in the midst of a three-year plan to build the infrastructure and provide training necessary to deploy a 1-to-1-student iPad program.


SCIENCE EDUCATION

Our education foundation, Friends of Oak Park Schools funds a full-time science enrichment specialist. One of the programs that we are most excited about is the Santa Cruz Island experience for 5th grade students at all of the elementary schools. The science specialist works with the 5th grade teachers to arrange full day field trips to Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary so students can search for extremely rare endemic species of birds, animals, and plants. A series of lessons on the marine and terrestrial island ecosystems precedes these trips.

Our program also includes participation in several science competitions at the secondary level related to energy and the environment. Teams from Oak Park schools annual win awards in the QuickSilver USC Marine Science and CSUCI Ideas to Impact programs.

The Oak Park High School Rocket Team placed 17th in the nation in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Washington, D.C. in May, 2012. The team has also been selected by NASA as part of their Student Launch Projects for 2012-13 with only 20 other schools in the U.S. The Rocket Team will again participate in the Team American Rocketry Challenge this year and hope to build a rocket that will qualify the team for the national fly-off once again. Sponsors and partners include The Boeing Company, NASA JPL, USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Aviation, SpaceX and AeroVironment.



SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Oak Park Unified School District believes that all students are to be afforded equal opportunity to participate in academic and non-academic classes and extra-curricular activities, regardless of whether or not they have special needs. In accordance with State guidelines, the District provides students with special needs access to the core curriculum in the appropriate least restrictive setting. General education class materials and curricula are used with supplemental materials and differentiated presentation methods as needed to support students’ progress in meeting State standards.

GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION (GATE)

The Oak Park Unified School District Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program recognizes not only the performance capabilities of gifted students, but the unique needs and differences associated with having these abilities. GATE students are provided with a differentiated curriculum that provides a pace, depth, and complexity of study geared to gifted learners while allowing for the various learning styles and social-emotional needs of individual students. Gifted students are cluster grouped, creating a dynamic learning community of intellectual peers. At the high school, students develop education plans based on their interests and abilities, including an extensive offering of Honors and Advanced Placement courses. The District welcomes the participation of parents in the education of gifted students. The GATE District Advisory Committee (GATE DAC) is a group of administrators, board members, and parents that meets monthly. Parents participating on the GATE DAC are encouraged to attend staff development and participate in the California Association for the Gifted annual conference. In 2013, the California Association for the Gifted named Oak Park USD a FIVE STAR GATE PROGRAM, one of only a handful of school districts in California to be so recognized.


OAK PARK NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL FOR PRESCHOOLERS & THEIR FAMILIES

Oak Park Neighborhood School is a tuition-based and grant funded, Reggio Emilia inspired half-day program for three to five year olds, plus select programs for families of children zero to three years old, where children and their families are respected, valued, and nurtured. It provides a learning community sustained with close collaboration by parents, teachers, children, and the environment. Oak Park Unified School District believes that learning must focus on each child and family in relation to a community of others, rather than each child and family in isolation. Using art, music, dance, block building, story writing, and many other “languages,” the staff helps children to communicate their ideas, discoveries, and their lives to the community. For a copy of the Preschool Brochure, please call 818.707.7742.



THE ARTS

All elementary students enjoy the services of music and art specialists. The District also provides an expanding band program and choral classes at both the middle school and high school. Both groups provide regular concerts to the community and participate in various outside competitions and performances. Students may participate in three drama productions each year at Oak Park High School, including a fully staged Shakespeare play, a student produced play and a large scale musical. The Oak Park High School Performing Arts Pavilion provides an ideal venue for school performances and concerts.

OUR CAMPUSES

Located in the hillsides of Ventura County, surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National Park and only eight miles from the Pacific Ocean, the community of Oak Park is an attractive, upscale, suburban community. Oak Park Unified School District is comprised of one early education school, three elementary schools, one middle school, one comprehensive high school, one continuation school, one independent study school, and the district office. The campuses of Oak Park’s schools are in keeping with the clean and wellkept neighborhoods around them; each is spacious and contained within a park-like setting. Many new landscape projects have begun that incorporate native and other drought-tolerant plantings to ensure water conservation. We use only organic fertilizers on our landscape and turf and never use synthetic herbicides. We use an integrated pest management system and green cleaning products to protect our students and staff.


EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

We believe all students should be environmental stewards and, as such, beyond keeping their campuses clean, students also participate in a county-recognized recycling program that exceeds state and federal standards. The State of California considers the district’s recycling program a model for conserving resources, promoting efficiency, and reducing pollution. Additionally, environmental education is provided within the curriculum in ways that are meaningful and replicable in their daily lives.

All of the schools have beautiful organic garden programs where students learn to grow their own healthy food. They learn the importance of caring for the earth by using organic soils and fertilizers. Food from the school gardens is used in our cafeteria programs.

All new construction is done with the environment in mind. For example, new ‘cool roofs’ are being installed at all of the schools. These roofs provide better insulation and reflect sunlight saving thousands of dollars a year in energy costs. New parking lots have been installed with bioswale infiltration systems that capture storm water and filter it back into the water table rather than allow it to run off into the streets and nearby creeks.

Oak Park USD was selected as a National Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education and the EPA in the spring of 2013. The District was the only District so recognized in California and one of only fourteen in the United States. A student team won the Presidential Environmental Youth Award in 2012 for a project about whale protection and a team won the Lexus Eco-Challenge Award in 2013 and a grant to put solar panels on the Oak Park High School/Community Library.



ATHLETICS

Oak Park High School fields athletic teams for both boys and girls in fifteen different sports and offers numerous other extracurricular activities. The focus of our athletic programs is to foster such life skills as teamwork, commitment, and good sportsmanship. Our athletic teams have achieved outstanding success while competing in the Tri-Valley League of the CIF. All of our programs generally qualify for CIF playoffs and over the past two years, our boys and girls cross country teams have earned league titles, our boys and girls basketball teams have qualified for CIF finals and played in state championship games, and our boys volleyball team has won the CIF SS Div. II championship. The athletic program has grown with the recent addition of the following teams: girls lacrosse, boys freshmen baseball, boys jr. varsity lacrosse, and boys and girls freshmen soccer, thus there are significantly more opportunities for students to participate in sports programs. We recently completed the installation of a new all-weather turf field funded by a corporate sponsorship. The emphasis on participation and growth of the athletic program at OPHS is one of our many strengths.


FRIENDS OF OAK PARK SCHOOLS

Friends of Oak Park Schools is a nonprofit organization with the primary objective of assisting the Oak Park Unified School District with additional financial support. Goals and Objectives: Raise money through acquisitions and direct donations to support and supplement existing and extracurricular activities that would not otherwise be achievable through public funds; Encourage community and corporate involvement in the education process; Develop alliances and partnerships with the various school based parent support groups and cross promote events that will benefit the district as a whole. In the last 7 years Friends has raised over $1 million to support Oak Park Schools.

The Oak Park Unified School District has some of the state’s best teachers and administrators. The District also has dedicated parents who put countless hours of time in helping teachers in and out of the classrooms. Friends of Oak Park Schools works to keep the district financially sound. Should you have any questions about the foundation visit www.friendsofoakparkschools.org or contact Barry D. Myerson, Chairperson at 818.735.3270.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS

We recognize that what makes the difference in our schools is parent participation. Parents are invited and encouraged to volunteer in classrooms throughout the district on a regular basis. Parents help, contribute, and work as true partners in educating our children.


AWARD WINNING EXCELLENCE

National Blue Ribbon SchoolsBrookside Elementary – 2003

Oak Hills Elementary - 1993, 2001Medea Creek Middle – 1994

Oak Park High – 1994

Five-Star GATE AwardCalifornia Association for the Gifted

2013

United States Green Ribbon Schools AwardU.S. Department of Education and E.P.A.

2013

California Model Continuation SchoolsOak View High – 2006

Newsweek Best High Schools in the U.S.Top 1000

Oak Park High School #199Top 1% in the U.S. of all high schools 2012, 2013

SchoolMatch “What Parents Want” AwardOak Park Unified School District – 2004

California League of Middle Schools“Schools to Watch” Award - 1 of 3 in California

Medea Creek Middle – 2004, 2012

California School BoardsAssociation Golden Bell Award

Oak Park Neighborhood Preschool – 2005Environmental Awareness, Education,

and Accountability 2010Chinese Language and Culture Program 2012

Standard And Poor’sTop 29 Outperforming

Districts in California – 2005

California Business RoundtableHonor School Awards

All Schools - 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Governor’s Council on PhysicalFitness and Sports

District of the Year - 2009

California Green School Leadership AwardDistrict of the Year 2011

California Distinguished SchoolsBrookside ElementaryOak Hills ElementaryRed Oak ElementaryMedea Creek Middle

Oak Park High

U.S. Green Buildings CouncilGreen Schools Award 2011

California Department of Public HealthCalifornia Breathing

Clean Air Award – District of the Year – 2012

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEPA Environmental Youth Award 2012

Oak Park High School

Aerospace Industries AssociationTeam America Rocketry Challenge

Top 25 in the United States 2012

NASAStudent Launch Projects

Oak Park High School 2012-13One of 21 in the United States

American School Boards JournalMagna Awards – Honorable Mention

Safe Schools Ambassador Program 2012Medea Creek Middle School and


Vex RoboticsLos Angeles Championship 2011-12


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2013 opusd brochure hr

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